The present invention relates to devices for monitoring computer equipment, computer peripherals, telephone computer systems, medical instrumentation systems, and other electronic instruments requiring monitoring, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a low profile device for monitoring computer equipment and discriminating between the computers to be monitored.
Virtually all computer systems, especially those used in imbedded applications such as telecommunication, voice processing, and medical instrumentation systems, require some type of monitoring. Computers must be capable of communicating with human operators so that their operation can be monitored. Typically, the operator uses a display and a keyboard to monitor a selected computer. Therefore, typically the computers have interfaces capable of accommodating standard keyboard input signals and display output signals. In order to monitor the operation of any selected computer, a human operator typically inserts a keyboard jack means and a display jack means into the appropriate interface for the selected computer. The operator then issues commands via keystrokes on the keyboard to the selected computer and the selected computer responds by sending signals which control the display.
In typical imbedded application environments, there is preciously little space available for storing computer equipment and related monitoring devices. For example, many system integrators mount multiple computers in a single EIA RS-310 standard 19-inch rack. Typically, the available rack space is extremely limited and in many cases non-existent. Although there is very little space available for rack-mounted monitors, the monitors are necessary for performing software revision, maintenance, and diagnostic functions. Because space in the 19-inch rack is typically at a premium, and lost rack space often equates to lost revenue, it is important that the computer monitoring equipment occupy as little rack space as possible. Furthermore, because typical computer systems utilize several computers performing a diverse set of functions, it is important that the computer monitoring equipment be flexible in order to accommodate different computer systems. Thus, several computer monitoring solutions are presently available. However, each suffers from a variety of defects.
Dedicated rack-mounted monitors and keyboards are used in environments where either there is sufficient available rack space or where the system monitoring requirements justify sacrificing rack space for monitors. For example, telecommunication and medical instrumentation systems typically must be highly reliable and therefore require constant monitoring. These systems typically house their computer equipment within the EIA RS-310 standard 19-inch rack. The dedicated rack-mounted monitor is typically housed in the same equipment rack as the computers it monitors. However, the dedicated rack-mounted monitors typically occupy at least 7 retma units (7-U) or about 12.25 inches of vertical rack space. In addition, the dedicated rack-mounted keyboards typically occupy at least 1 retma unit (1-U) or about 1.75 inches of vertical rack space. The loss of valuable rack space therefore represents a serious defect. Moreover, this defect is magnified in environments where the monitors are frequently idle and used only during system failures.
In addition, the dedicated rack-mounted monitors of the prior art provide an inflexible and inconvenient solution. The dedicated monitors typically communicate with only one computer at a time. Therefore, in order to monitor an entire rack of computers, there are two possible solutions, neither of which is preferable. Either each computer in the rack has its own dedicated display and keyboard, or one rack-mounted display and keyboard is provided and repeatedly connected and re-connected to each computer requiring monitoring. The former solution is prohibitively expensive. The latter solution is inconvenient. As discussed hereinabove, each computer in the rack typically has a standard keyboard and a standard display interface. Occasionally the interfaces are accessible from the front of the rack, however, more often the interfaces are only accessible from behind the rack. Therefore, a human operator or technician must re-connect the monitor and keyboard cables to the computer interfaces in the back of the rack each time a different computer is accessed. This process is time-consuming and can sometimes result in the wrong computer being monitored. This defect is magnified when the mounted monitor is utilized in a time-critical computer system.
Other computer monitoring approaches are currently available. However, they too suffer from various defects. For example, in cases where the rack space is too valuable or unavailable, a cart-mounted keyboard and monitor is used. In this environment, the cart-mounted keyboard and monitor is stored until needed. When monitoring is necessary, a technician typically wheels the monitor cart to the rack of computers requiring monitoring. The technician then cables and connects the monitor and keyboard interfaces to the computer which requires monitoring. The cart-mounted monitoring solution has the one advantage of not occupying valuable rack space. However, this solution suffers the defects discussed above with reference to the dedicated rack-mounted monitor and keyboard solution. In addition, the cart-mounted monitor subjects employees to a higher risk of injury because the cart must be transported from rack to rack and because the keyboard and display interfaces must be cabled and re-cabled to the back of the rack. The requirement of re-cabling and re-connection is time-consuming, inefficient and sometimes costly if the technician makes a mistake.
Some systems have no readily available monitoring means on the same premises as the computers to be monitored. In this scenario, a technician must transport the monitor and keyboard from site to site whenever monitoring is required. This often occurs in emergency situations where a computer system has "crashed" or ceased functioning properly. Again, this solution suffers the defects of being time consuming, inconvenient, disruptive to customer operations and expensive if the monitor or keyboard is damaged in transit.
Thus, there is a need for a computer equipment monitor which is flexible, efficient, inexpensive and easy to use, yet which, when mounted, occupies very little storage space.